deernet | text; un: warden

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text; un: warden

how do you do magic if you're not a mage

fake magic for not mages?

where do you buy meat for dogs

[These are not, in fact, incorrectly-aimed omni searches, this is simply how local not-a-mage Carver Hawke chooses to communicate. He has all the grace and poise of a preteen trying to google puberty, when it comes to Doing a Magic, but he also doesn't know how to be anonymous, so here he is.

Also if you've ever received a message from a one Palamedes Sextus and are wondering what's up with this severely different un: warden post, oopsie doodle? The click-through userid is different, if you make the effort to check.]

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[D is expressionless and non-judgmental about Carver's startled fumbling.]

I'm not from the same place you are, the rules of my home are different.

Mage implies a certain amount of flexibility, dedication, and breadth most people lack.

But there are still people who can use magic to peer into the future or cloud your mind with a song.

That— okay? I don't know what that has to do with me. That still sounds like mages.

[Brow furrowed, he looks back at the omni, so as not to have to make dreaded eye contact.]

Do you know how to stop magic, or not?

Most of the time.

[Between D and Left Hand they can deal with most kinds of enemy magic but he doesn't think that's what Carver is talking about.]

What's giving you trouble?

[Carver makes another face, exchanging a look with his omen— or, at least, giving the dog a look, as if to say 'well, that's something.']

Well, that would be... most. I mean. The whole thing.

[He gives a wide gesture for 'the whole thing' with one hand before drawing his hand back to sulking over the omni. Hmph. There are, in fact, a thousand things giving him trouble and most of them aren't even about the odd mishaps he's had freezing food solid when trying to eat it, but well - none of those are quite what he wants to talk about, just yet, so:]

It happens when I don't want it to. The magic. Like it's got a mind of its own.

And what does it do when you do want it to happen?

[D has a great deal of experience with unwanted supernatural effects. He can keep his in check most of the time but he'll never fully be rid of it. Without knowing what the magic is, though, it's hard to say if he can help or not.]

That's the point, I don't want it to happen.

[Perhaps, he is realizing, he should have phrased his question 'why is a not-a-mage (me) doing magic, i hate this' but that, too, would have required more openness about the issue than he's comfortable vomiting onto this network thing.

His shoulders slump, his head hangs - ugh, this is embarrassing.]

I froze my beer. Before. It's not- it's not just that, I can get more beer, but it's... [shrug!!! it's shrug, he's too embarrassed.]

You're a coldblood now. Ice, lightning, fire.

It's also useful for those who use bladed weapons, you can use it to enhance your weapon or anyone else's.

[This is the first time he's encountered someone having such trouble over their new blood, but most of the people he knows had some variety of supernatural ability or at least familiarity with it before they arrived.]

I'm not a mage, but I can do magic. You can either work on preventing it entirely, or learn how to do it on purpose so you can stop doing it on accident.

[His brow furrows even deeper somehow, and he looks at his plank of a greatsword despite himself. A flaming sword is objectively kind of interesting, however-- it's the getting it that's the problem, of course.

He skips "only mages do magic" lest he have to argue about something else, but there's a definite moment where he looks - confused by that phrasing. Okay, sure thing, mage guy...]

You know, it being blood magic doesn't make it any better. Complete opposite, actually. And what's not useful about a normal sword?

[That girl on the omni had prattled on about "useful" magic, too, and boy, does it chafe harder every time he hears it.]

Not everything can be harmed by a normal sword. There are some creatures ordinary metal won't stop but an enhanced blade will.

[There aren't as many here as in his world, but they do exist. D feels fortunate that they haven't had many at the outpost yet.]

Magic makes fighting those things easier, but a sharp metal edge is enough to handle most foes. I haven't had mine enhanced.

Can't I stick a rune in it? I mean, if I'm desperate.

[Surely, people still use runes. Surely. Where's that little guy and his enchantments when Carver suddenly needs them, damn. He reaches for his sword where it sits propped up on a rock beside him, fingers closing around the hilt. It's practically an unconscious motion; local Warden feels better with sword in hand, go figure.

Hmm.]

I just- you know, I don't- I'd get being a mage wrong, somehow.

[D can't tell if it's a personal issue or a cultural issue that's causing this hang up about magic. Or both.]

Unless you brought some runes with you, I doubt you'll find any you recognize here.

[Well, at least they're getting closer to the problem.]

Freezing things only when you want to would be an improvement over freezing things when you don't want to.

[He shakes his head-- for the runes, no, he's shit out of luck for that one. Oh, well.

In any case, it's all of the above and then some that are causing his hangups about magic, currently manifested in his profound lack of eye contact. He would love to stare at the omni without doing anything with it, that's far more comfortable. He manages a dry chuckle, so there's that.]

Right. Then I'll be useful at last.

[He puts the omni down on the ground and drags the sword across his lap, instead. Hmph.]

My family were all mages, except for my mother. And now I'm freezing things at random— they'd have a good, long laugh at me.

[Now they're really making headway, unfortunately family trouble is something D isn't qualified to talk about.]

You're already useful.

[Carver is a bit of a mess, but no one can deny that he's been killing beasts at the outpost.]

Or angry because they lost their magic and you gained some instead. This place does strange things to people.

[Hm, well, that makes him tense for a split second, before he hunches forward a little more to hide the face he makes. It's been a while since he's heard those words in that order? Or the sentiment? It's something.

He clears his throat. Hoo boy. Don't perceive this.]

You think that would happen? Worst case scenario, maybe.

[Would his dear sister take that well? Losing her magic? He assumes not, but he's never actually asked about that, given how traumatic it sounds in general.]

Well, if I'm good at it, I'll get an earful, too— there's no winning.

[Carver's defeatist attitude is very 'there's no winning' from D's perspective. But he does get it to an extent, there are times when everything is just awful. Even if being laughed at seems like a small thing to D, it's clearly not like that for Carver.]

Learning how to do magic only when you want to does mean you can choose to never use it.

[He has a right to sulk and he's going to exercise it, thank you D for the not-really-support. He frowns, anyway, because learning to do magic is the first hurdle no matter what, it seems, and he really-- super does not want to do that. Something about it just feels... wrong.]

I guess. Somebody told me something about a school.

[grumble mumble not that he wants to go to school...]

That's right.

[D will probably not take part in any of the teaching efforts. He already has less than enough time every day as it is.]

There are also meditation lessons, I don't think those involve any homework or written tests.

I'm not doing any of that.

[Absolutely not, he has better things to do with his time than sit still and think or do homework. Ridiculous.]

I'll figure it out! Eventually. Whatever.

Whatever you do or don't do is up to you.

[Go to school, don't go to school. Carver is here regularly fighting monsters, magic or no magic.]

I'm sure you will figure it out, and until then it's not like your sword is going to run off.

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